Monday, August 18, 2008

If you're interested in becoming part of a book review blogging tour for Hispanic-focused books let me know!

- Get your Spanish on with McNally Jackson Books!Every Saturday at 12pmSpanish Language Discussion GroupPractice your Spanish with Javier Molea, our resident Spanish language literature expert. Javier owned a bookstore in Montevideo, Uruguay, where people gathered on Saturdays to discuss books. He has brought that tradition to our store. No preparatory reading is required; Borges, Cortazar, Fuentes, and all of the greatest Latin American writers are discussed. about the Spanish Lanugage Discussion Group.McNally Jackson Books is located at 52 Prince Street between Lafayette and Mulberry.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

I just haven't been blogging. Even though, everyday I come across something I want to share here - somehow I just end up not having the time anymore, well at least lately. Blogging has sadly become a luxury but it's August anyway and most people are taking breaks from their routines.

"It's a " Spanglish, complex, action-packed page-turner. Some have called it Carlito’s Way for the modern generation. It is the story of Eddie Santiago, a Puerto Rican parolee who exits prison wearing a money belt stuffed with forty thousand dollars he made selling weed out of his cell. The cash is the seed of Eddie’s simple dream of starting over by investing in a record label to bring back salsa dura. But Eddie’s old associates are unreformed. As soon as he returns to Chicago he is robbed by two dirty cops. Figuring he was set up, Eddie vows to recover his money, no matter what. Along the way he becomes a murder suspect, implicated in a drug war, and ensnared in a reckless plan to rob a casino. He has an affair with a troubled Mexican beauty. In the end he settles old debts in a shocking and deadly climax."

Boys are increasingly left out of reading. (Duh, I've been saying for how long now?) WSJ.com, is Grossology really the answer? Um, How about just some good reads about topics that boys are interested in?

He gets it, he really gets it: "In my case, I was never very keen on the notion of the reclusive author working in solitude, and have always tried to interact with my readers. So I've spent a lot of time on my website, knowing that it is one of the rare public platforms, besides the traditional book signing, open to me." - Novelist Paulo Coelho on the Newstatesman.com

Tonight it gets even crazier, Midnight Parties for Breaking Dawn, the fourth and final book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga are being held across the nation. You can find more info and nearby events here:The TwilightSaga.com's event locator

Party hardy & have fun but beware of frisky bloodsuckers!

Booklover and reading enthusiast, Oprah, is now helping kids select good books and cultivate a love of literature: "the Book Club section of Oprah Winfrey's Web site will offer a list of recommended children's titles, courtesy of the American Library Association's Quick Lists Consulting Committee." Love it!

Also on the radar, check out Construyendo Puentes:" In January of this year, Idealistas.org launched a program called Construyendo Puentes, idealist.org, a web-based initiative that seeks to bring together those who are interested in converting their good intentions into concrete actions in order to create social change.I've added their banner to my sidebar!

At Transitional Sizes, one can rent a Slimmer Wardrobe while downsizing and dieting. I don't know sounds kinda yuckers to me. It's one thing to borrow a friend's sweater or buy an item at Thrift shop (since you find you find unique stuff at a great price and it yours to keep and has been dry-cleaned) but to pay to borrow used clothing? Naw, man!

Who is Literanista?

Valerie M. Russo Evans

New York, NY, United States

A native New Yorker born to Puerto Rican & Sicilian parents in Spanish Harlem's El Barrio, Literanista is a Social Media Strategist, a published poet/writer, has worked at Hachette Book Group, Aol, Thomson Reuters and scouts the web for multicultural literary news, tech trends, innovation, working on her debut novel & about a million other things.

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Disclosure

* All content on Literanista is strictly based on my sole personal opinion & beliefs & not those of my employer. I sometimes receive advance release copies of books, media, and products for promotion purposes.